You have been occupied with music and
music alone since childhood. It is in
your thoughts all day long. It is therefore logical that you prefer to leave legal
and employment issues to others.
This leaves you free to concentrate on
the next concert. FNV Classical Music
gives business advice and fiscal
advice and organizes training
courses specifically for musicians.

to get the most out of every concert,
you cannot spend time worrying about collective labour agreements or the consequences
of an occupational illness. Fortunately you do
not have to concern yourself with these matters.
FNV Classical Music can negotiate with
employers on your behalf and establish the best
possible working conditions for you and your
colleagues. For example, we make sure that
working hours are not too long, and that
employers make clear arrangements regarding
working conditions.
We offer both collective and individual services.
Musicians, like everyone else, have to deal with
terms of employment, tax issues and legal
matters. You do not have to face these problems alone. Our specialists can give advice
based on their knowledge of your professional
situation.
FNV Classical Music is a trade union that now
also acts on behalf of the self-employed. This is
not as strange as it sounds. The world is
If you want

changing and so are we. This is especially
important as our members operate in the arts
sector, which is by nature dynamic and
innovative.
This sector needs a professional body to
represent the interests of artists on both a
collective and an individual level. FNV Classical
Music sets the tone with regard to working
conditions for musicians as well as for auxiliary
personnel within music organizations.
FNV Classical Music
offers the following
• Business advice
• Legal advice
• Fiscal assistance
• Contract screening
• Training courses
• Lectures
• Collective labour
agreement negotiations
• Permanent political lobby
• Assistance with labour
disputes

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I can always call
in the unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
name
age
profession
ambition

Tosca
31
cellist
to play with
Yo-Yo Ma

I first held a cello at the age of three. I was
immediately captivated. After leaving the music
academy, I worked as a freelancer for a year.
I liked the independence, as it gave me an
opportunity to discover the direction in which I
wanted to go and the style that suited me best.
Even so, I am glad that I now have a permanent
position with an orchestra. Everything is laid
down in the collective labour agreement. This
leaves me more free time to study and to stay in
shape. Working as a musician is like playing toplevel sport. I have to practice all the time.

As a cellist I am sometimes worried about my
hearing. The brass players and percussionists
produce plenty of decibels. Working with
earplugs is awkward, as this hinders contact
with the rest of the orchestra. It is like being on
an island. But sometimes the sound is almost
unbearable. One solution would be earplugs
that allow more sound through during a quiet
passage and less sound during a loud section.
FNV Classical Music is helping to devise
possible solutions.
In my opinion orchestras have to move with the
times, although at the same time employee
rights have to be protected. For instance, should
we continue playing in the summer or not? This
is good for the reputation of the orchestra, but
the musicians need a holiday. Where should the
boundaries be drawn? Thanks to the trade union
our position is stronger. I see the union as a
back-up. I can always call in the FNV, and this is
a reassuring thought.

More and more musicians are becoming
self-employed. How does this work?
Many musicians belong to an orchestra. However, some opt for
the freedom offered by freelancing. They have their own
ensemble, belong to a quartet, or work as a solo artist or
substitute. FNV Classical Music has negotiated provisions for
these people in the collective labour agreement (for instance,
substitutes are guaranteed the minimum fee and they also
accrue pension.) This is quite exceptional, as it is the first time
that self-employed people have been included in the collective
labour agreement. But we have more to offer. For instance, how
are the fiscal and legal regulations applied in the case of selfemployment, and how are these regulations affected by a
combination of activities? FNV Classical Music has the answers.
Professional advice

What has to be considered if you want to become selfemployed? During an individual consultation, our business
advisers can tell you all about taxes (tax-deductible items,
employee insurance contributions), insurance (medical insurance, incapacity insurance, pension), administration (VAT
payments) and drawing up a business plan. If necessary a
consultant can coach you with regard to setting up an independent business.

contract specialist, who will help you to prepare for the contract
discussions.
Tax service

As an entrepreneur, you have to submit a declaration of your
profits to the Dutch tax authorities. Our employees can provide
individual assistance with this.
Pregnancy

The WAZ (incapacity insurance for the self-employed) scheme
for pregnant self-employed women was abolished in 2004. After
lobbying by various interest groups, including the FNV, the Dutch
government has now formulated a proposal for a new scheme for
pregnant self-employed women.*)
Courses

FNV Classical Music offers five practical courses geared
specifically towards musicians and stage artists. These courses
are Negotiations, Copyright, Employed or Self-Employed, Taxes,
and Presentation. As your fellow pupils are other musicians and
stage artists, you can learn from one another, making the courses
even more effective. The lecturers know everything there is to
know about the performing arts sector.

Legal Helpdesk

Our Legal Helpdesk functions as the primary contact, providing
telephone information, documentation, advice and legal
assistance in the field of work, income and business administration. Our helpdesk assistant will first assess your question or
problem in order to determine which lawyer is the most capable
of resolving the issue in hand. This lawyer will then call you back
the following working day at the latest.
Contract advice

Special training courses are given to teach about contract
negotiations. If you still need individual advice regarding a
complex work agreement, you can make an appointment with our

*) At the time of going to press, this scheme was still being dealt with in the
Upper and Lower Houses of the Dutch Parliament, so the details are not yet
definitive. Pregnant self-employed women will probably receive a pregnancy
and maternity allowance of up to â&#x201A;Ź1392 for 16 weeks.

Further information
FNV Classical Music has
developed for its members two
substantial brochures on fiscal
and legal issues that may be of
interest to musicians and stage
artists. These are Copyright
(including model contracts) and
Employed or Self-Employed.

Thinking
ahead
FNV Classical Music
follows professional
developments closely,
comes up with a response
and takes appropriate
action. The increasing
flexibility of the
profession calls for
musicians to be alert
and open-minded.
sector has a long tradition. Orchestras have
often existed for over 150 years in the same form, and it is not
uncommon for musicians to stay with the same orchestra
throughout their life. But times are changing here, too. The
abolition of the early retirement pension scheme has great
consequences for the future of musicians, generating entirely
new reintegration problems. After all, people who have spent
their entire lives making music find it very hard to do something
else. It is important to reach retirement age in good health and
with continued pleasure in your work. The FNV is making great
efforts to realize this.
Grants can no longer be relied upon, and the question of how to
attract new audiences is important. In this regard the common
ground between pop and rock is enjoying considerable success.
Flexibility is becoming increasingly important. Is it possible to
broaden the working field by including classical music in art
education? Politicians are in favour of this. Furthermore, holidays
are no longer sacred. Instead of one long summer holiday, this
may need to be staggered in order to meet the increasing
demand for classical music at summer festivals. FNV Classical
Music is thinking ahead with regard to these and other developments. The union is also making efforts to improve the salaries
and working conditions of musicians in exchange for greater
flexibility. FNV Classical Music is holding discussions with
politicians, employers and grant providers in order to come up
with better solutions for musicians, not just in the short term but
in the long term as well.

The classical music

FNV Classical Music,
answering your
questions
What should my salary be according
to the collective labour agreement?
How can I prevent an occupational
illness?
When am I self-employed according
to the Dutch tax authorities?
Am I entitled to any grant schemes
and how do these work?